The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-01-05

from time 10 tlulc auo we upSet LILO eSA
per by trying to get into his house when
strangers were not welcome, and might
misinterpret his actions. As for the dis.
appearance of Dina, he could only con
clude that she had run away, and where
she had grne to was more than he had
been able to discover.
To this the law answered: "fou have
friends to help you, and you are rich
enough to pay the expense OF strlc'
search. Find Dina Coomb, and produce
her here to prove what you have said
We will give you reasonable time. Make
the best of it."
Ten days passed, and we, the wit
nesses, we're summoned again. How it
came out, I don't know. Everybody in
Betminster was talking of it; Farmer
Fairweather's niece had been found.
The girl told her story, and the people
who had discovered her told their story.
1t was all plain and straightforward, and
I had just begun to wonder what was
wanted for, when up got the lawyer who
had the farmers interests in charge, and
asked that the witnesses might be or.
dered to leave the court. We were turned
out, under care of an usher; and we were
sent for the authorities wanted US, to
speak to the identity of Dina, one at
time. The parson of Farmer Fair
weather's parish church was the first wit
ness called Then came the turn of the
laborcrs. I was sent for last.
When | had been sworn, and when
the girl and l were, for the first time. set
close together face to face, q most extra
ordinary init rest seemed to be felt in my
evidence. How first came to be in Di-
mas comany and how long time passed
while was talking with her, were qucs-
tions which answered as Ihad answered
them once already, ten days since.
When a voice warned me to be careful
and to take my time, and another voice
said: els that Dina Coomb2' was too
much excited may even say, too much
frigh;ened-to turn my head and see who
was speaking to me. The longer looked
at the girl the more certain l felt that l
was not looking at Dina.
What could do? AS an honest woman
giving evidence on her oath l was
bound, come what might of it, to tell the
truth. To the voice which had asked
me if that was Dina Coomb, 1answered
positively: ''No."
My reasons, when given, We're two in
number. First, both this girls eyes
were as straight as straight could be
not so much as the vestige of cast
could I see in her left eye. Secondly,
she was fatter than Dina in the face, and
fatter in the neck and arms, and rounder
in the shoulders. I owned, when the
lawyer put the question to me, that she
was of the same height as Dina, and had
the same complexion and the same fine
blue color iu her eyes. But I stuck fast
to the differences I had noticed-and
they said turned the scale against the
prisoner.
AS 1 afterward discovered, we wit
nesses had not been agreed. The labor
ers declared that the girl was Dina. The
parson, who had seen Dina hundreds of
times at his school, said exactly what l
had said. Other competent witnesses
were sought for aud found the next day.
Their testimony was our testimony re-
peated again and again. Later still, the
abomina6le father and mother who had
sold their child for purposes Of deception
were discovered, and were afterward
punished, along with the people who had
paid the money.
Driven to the wall, the prisoner owned
that he had failed to find his runaway
niece: and that, in terror of being con-
demned to die on the scaffold for murder,
he had made this desperate attempt to
get himself acquitted by deceiving the
law. His confession availed him moth
ing: his solemn assertion of innocence
availed him nothing. Farmer Fair
weather was hanged.
w.
With the passing away OF time, the
memory of things passes away too. !
was beginning to be an old woman, and
the the trial was only remembered by
elderly people like myself, when l got a
letter relating to my sister. 1t was writ
ten for her by the English Census at the
French town in which she lived. He in
formed me that she had been a widow
for some years past; and he summoned
me instantly to her bedside, if wished
to see her again before she died.
Twas just in time to find her living.
She was past speaking to me; but, thank
God, she understood what I meant when
I kissed her, and asked her to forgive
me- Toward evening the poor soul
passed away quietly, with her head rest
ing on my breast.
The consul had written down what
she wanted to say to me. I leave the
persons who may read this to judge what
my feelings were when discovered that
my sisters husband was the wretch who
had assisted the escape of Dina Coomb,
and who had thus been the means of
condemning an innocent man to death on
the scaiTold.
On one of those visits on business to
England of which Ihave already spoken,
he had met little girl sitting under a
hedge at the side OF the high road, lost,
footsore and frightened, and had spoken
to her. She owned that she had run
away from home, after most severe
beating. She showed the marks. A
worthy man would have put her under
the protection of the nearest magistrate.
My rascally brother-in-law noticed her
valuable watch; and, snspecting that she
might be connected WITH wealthy peo-
pie, he encouraged her to talk. When
he was we'll assured of her expectations,
H. o,k